Tourism Task Force proposals and results
The Minister outlined the Task Force’s £4 million programme and cited a 25% rise in North American visitors and more than 70,000 replies to the “Write and Invite” campaign as early indicators, while noting they were not confirmed visits.
asked the Minister for Tourism and Transport the proposals which have been made to date by the Tourism Task Force; of these, the proposals which have been implemented; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Comment on this
As I mentioned previously in the House, the Tourism Task Force was established by the Government specifically to advise on how the additional £4 million provided in the 1988 budget should be allocated so as to obtain an increase in tourism numbers and revenue in 1988 in line with the targets set out in the Programme for National Recovery.
On 3 March 1988, the Government approved a series of recommendations from the task force for a special £4 million programme of measures for 1988 as follows:
A National "Write and Invite" campaign.
A new campaign directed at the special interest holiday segments of our main markets making extensive use of specialist tour operators and journalists in special interest magazines and publications. Bord Fáilte have targeted angling, golf, equestrian, cycling, walking, religious, cultural-heritage-language, incentive-conference, cruising and senior citizens.
New campaigns in North America and Australia-Japan concentrating on back-track traffic from Europe and Britain.
Special campaigns in Continental Europe and Britain.
A special Entrepreneurial Tourism Fund to assist innovative tourism projects designed to increase visitor traffic in 1988;
A Conference Ambassador Scheme aimed at attracting increased international conference business.
This programme of measures is already being implemented by Bord Fáilte and I am confident that it will lead to a substantial increase in overseas visitors in 1988 and afterwards.
Comment on this
The Minister says he has confidence, but could he tell us whether there are any indications, now that we are almost mid-way through the year, that there is an increase as a result of any of these proposals which were approved in March?
Comment on this
It is difficult to give the Deputy a structured answer off the top of my head but I do know that for the first quarter of the year the number of visitors from North America was up by 25 per cent. As well as that, we know that in response to the "write and invite" campaign 70,000 plus replies have been received — not actual visitors — but it is an indication that 70,000 were interested enough to reply. I am giving those as indicators.